Panamer – AUSmotive.com

Porsche have issued recall notices for all Panamera models sold worldwide. That’s over 11,000 vehicles in all. For the Australian market affected cars are listed as Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo 2010 models.

The problem surrounds the locking elements on the front seat belts which can work loose or become detached from their mounts. Pretty easy to see what could happen next in such a situation. According to the official recall statement, “If the front seats are adjusted very far, resulting in unfavorable tolerances, it is possible that the function of the locking mechanism for the seat belt mount can no longer be guaranteed.”

A recall notice has been posted on the recalls.gov.au website which outlines the possible defect and the likely outcome. All Panamera owners in Australia will be contacted by mail with instructions of what steps are required for inspection and possible repair.

This is Porsche’s new Panamera Space Concept and it gives us a good look inside the once unthinkable four-door saloon from Stuttgart. The Panamera will go on European sale from mid September and pricing starts at â‚¬94,575 (AU$186,000) for the Panamera S and tops out at â‚¬135,154 (AU$267,000) for the Panamera Turbo. Expect Australian pricing to be quite a bit more than a simple â‚¬-AUD conversion, however.

Engine choices are limited to 4.8-litre V8s to begin with. Thereâ€™s a 294kW (400hp) normally aspirated version for the Panamera S and 4S models, while the addition of twin-turbos boosts power to 368kW (500hp) for the top spec Turbo model. That brings 100km/h sprint times of 5.4 seconds for a manual equipped S, 5.0 seconds with PDK and all-wheel drive in the 4S and just 4.2 seconds for the Turbo, also with PDK and AWD.

The four-seater is luxuriously decked in full leather and is fitted with all the usual mod-cons including four zone climate control, Comfort Memory Package (for eight-way adjustable seat, lumbar and steering wheel) and enough airbags to pass off the car as an airship.

Porsche are also waxing lyrical about their partnership with Burmester who have supplied the audio equipment for the Panamera. Iâ€™m no high-end audiophile by any means, but Iâ€™m guessing Iâ€™d be impressed by the sound quality. I suppose those 2,400 sqaure centimetres of sound membranes must be good for something.

The lower spec models have a top speed of 282km/h, while the Turbo can nudge past the triple ton to 303km/h. While the fuel economy of the range is not headline grabbing, the figures are helped by an Auto Start Stop system on PDK equipped models.

More detail and wallpaper sized images can be accessed after the jump.